Haunting Homesteads at Land Between the Lakes

he Land Between the Lakes is an outdoor person’s dream— 170,000 acres of largely undeveloped, natural land, open for public enjoyment. Before its creation in the mid-1960s, this west Kentucky swath was home to many families and communities. Upon their relocation, most evidence of life before the LBL was erased. There are, however, several remaining sites that help tell the tales of those who lived there before the recreation area came to be. Here are just a few of the sites we visited this past summer.

Hotel California is the shell of the former home of Grover Marler who was a riverboat captain.

HOMER’S GARAGE

It’s not unusual to find evidence of a house that once stood in the Land Between the Lakes. You can find an old fence row near what can be barely seen of an old foundation. Maybe there’s a decaying concrete step or part of a brick chimney still standing. But as far as we know, there’s only one school bus in the woods.

Homer Ray and his wife Marie lived a simple life. After serving in World War II, Homer returned to his wife who had given birth to their daughter. He never met her, however, as she died before his discharge from service. He opened Ray’s Garage behind their Lyon County home, and everyone in the area who needed an auto repair knew to go to Homer. Homer and Marie were not keen to leave their home with the creation of the Land Between the Lakes, but eventually, they did. According to a family member, they packed everything up, and Homer set up his garage in the new Eddyville. He continued operating his business until he passed away in 1981.

At his old homesite, you can find the remnants of life including a partially buried concrete pad, some fencing, and various metal remnants around the property. A little way behind where the house once stood is the most striking piece of Homer’s history—an old Lyon County school bus.

At best guess, the bus was brought to Homer and deemed unrepairable, or it was not financially viable to keep it running. Perhaps he used it for parts for other buses, or it simply sat, unclaimed. When workers cleaned up that area, apparently the bus was one item they did not want to touch. Today, it sits in what now appears to be the middle of the woods, stripped of everything and adorned with graffiti.

Homer passed away in 1981. He, along with wife Marie and their infant daughter are at Sardis-Lady Cemetery near Lake Barkley. Homer finally returned to his home between the rivers.

HOTEL CALIFORNIA

Perhaps the most famous heritage site in LBL is Hotel California. The imposing, concrete structure, adorned in a dayglo swirl of graffiti, can feel pretty spooky given its appearance and location. Thus the connection to the Eagle’s song about a creepy place.

According to one longtime visitor who grew up near LBL, its name wasn’t always so ominous. Once known simply as the Captain’s house or the Marler home, Hotel California is the shell of the former home of Grover Marler who was a riverboat captain.

He’d built the house, mostly of cinder block and concrete, to be a retirement

home for him and his wife. His dream quickly turned into a nightmare as the TVA took over the land, and Marler was told to leave his home. Capt. Marler refused.

In a 1966 newspaper article, 62-year-old Capt. Marler was quoted: “My wife took off on me. She’d had enough of this, but they’re not running me off. I don’t care about a road. I’ve got a private place where those TVA boys can’t just come nosin’ around.” The road he referred to was the one way in and out that was subsequently cut off by Lake Barkley. Capt. Marler even went so far as to create a small, homemade ferry for his car. We are not sure when he finally left, but he ultimately moved to Louisville, presumably to be near family.

Over a century old, The Cleo Griffin home still stands

CLEO GRIFFIN’S HOME

On the Tennessee side of Land Between the Lakes stands an entire house that is probably over a century old—a true rarity for the recreation area. Cleo Griffin was born there in 1923. The area was known as Model, Tennessee. Cleo left home to serve in World War II and ultimately ended up in the Battle of Monte Cristo, a brutal, four-month fight in Italy that resulted in 55,000 casualties for the allies. Cleo came back a changed man.

He returned to his home at Model where he was happy to spend the rest of his life. The creation of LBL changed that, however, when Cleo was faced with having to move. Family in Dover, Tennessee took him in, but every time they would bring him to Dover, he’d leave and walk 15 miles back to his home. Multiple attempts were made, and in every instance, he walked back.

Eventually, the TVA decided to let him stay, perhaps persuaded by new understandings about PTSD. They allowed him to keep electricity and a telephone line. His family brought him water and groceries every week and cooked for him on the weekends. He remained in the house until 1989, truly the last resident of Land Between the Lakes by twenty years. For eleven years, he lived in a nursing home until he passed away and was buried just a few miles from his beloved home.

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